Olympique Lyonnais Faces Relegation to Ligue 2 After DNCG Decision

LYON, France — The Olympique Lyonnais (OL) was officially relegated to Ligue 2 following a decision by the Direction nationale du contrôle de gestion (DNCG) on June 24, 2025. This announcement comes after OL’s owner, John Textor, and the club’s football director, Michael Gerlinger, failed to convince the financial regulators during a hearing.

Textor expressed optimism after his meeting, stating, “I think everything went remarkably well.” However, the DNCG confirmed the administrative relegation based on financial concerns, despite OL’s efforts to improve its economic standing.

Earlier this season, OL faced initial sanctions from the DNCG due to a substantial debt of €175 million. The club, which finished sixth in the Ligue 1 standings and reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League, had been placed under provisional relegation during the previous November.

Textor highlighted recent investments and cost-cutting measures made by the club. He claimed that these strategies significantly improved OL’s liquidity and that the club had reduced player salaries substantially. Still, the DNCG maintained serious reservations regarding the financial viability of the club.

“We have made various investments over the past few weeks,” Textor added. “Everything is good financially.” While OL plans to appeal the DNCG’s ruling, uncertainty looms over the club’s future in top-flight football.